By Sam Baker, KERA Morning Edition Host
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-899260.mp3
Dallas, TX –
U-S Labor statistics for March showed temporary help services added 40-thousand jobs in March. Economists view such increases as an early sign of economic recovery. Debby Kratky of Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County says employers often use temp workers to measure if it's time to begin hiring again. In today's economy segment, KERA's Sam Baker talked with Kratky about the range of temp work available.
Debby Kratky: A temp job can last a week or it can last a year. I think a lot of times people think of temp agencies as clerical but really they run the gambit. There are several companies, like Motorola for example, for many years had a staffing agency that would hire people for three months and you know a lot of times the standard for keeping a person on probation is three months. It's that same kind of belief when you hire someone. So we see them going actually toward manufacturing jobs, accounting and all different kinds of things.
We're running a program in Tarrant County right now that's specifically designed for people who were on probation because that criminal history is a hard thing to overcome. So we're actually working with the Tarrant County Probation Department on placing some of their people in subsidized employment with an employer who might be wanting to try that person out before hiring them.
Sam Baker: You have said before that you are big believer in temp jobs as a step towards permanent employment. What did you mean by that?
Kratky: Well if you've got gaps on your resume and you're really concerned that maybe you've been out of work for six months. If you can get a job that pays commensurate with what you need to make your bills, it's a really good step because it fills in that gap on a resume and gives you a point of reference for future employers.
Baker: But there's still the concern about what matching of skills
Kratky: Many staffing agencies have assessments that they do with individuals. So let's say I'm going into a staffing agency looking for work. They'll usually run you through a battery of assessment tools, everything from your office skills to actually your skill level many times.
Baker: So even though you may be skilled in one particular job through testing, they may find that you may actually fit another?
Navigate the recession with KERA! Get tips on avoiding foreclosure, access job resources and more at kera.org/economy.
Kratky: Yes that happens quite frequently actually.
Baker: Is there any reason to fear that temp jobs will sort of be the new form of permanent employment?
Kratky: Yeah, I think it does. I think that has happened in the past where a company will use a staffing agency in lieu of hiring a person full-time. The reason we don't see that happening across the board is because that company has to pay for that temp service. So if I'm going to make $15 an hour, that employer may have to pay an extra $3 or $4 an hour that covered the cost of the staffing agency so it's not a cheap remedy at all. Usually companies will use it for a specific period of time and for a specific reason.
Baker: If a person is looking for temp work, how would they even go about finding it?
Kratky: You can go online and Google "temporary services" or you can Google "staffing agencies".
Baker: I tried that and I was amazed at the number of them out there. Seems like maybe the recession-proof business.
Kratky: They are. They really are. You've got from the high-end to the low-end, there are also staffing agencies for things like lawn care or I know there are several that specialize in more physical labor kinds of jobs. You often hear about those. So there are all the way from getting your lawn taken care of up through I-T services. There is several staffing agencies just for I-T people.
Baker: What are things to remember when you go to apply for such work?
Kratky: When you go in to apply to staffing agency, be ready to go through an interview on the spot because many times you'll go in and if they think they got a job for you, they may ask you to do their assessment test that day. So I always tell people to dress professionally, bring copies of their resumes, [bring] a good pen for applications they may have to fill out and be prepared to stay for a while.
Debby Kratky is Director of Capacity Building for Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.
You can find more information about temp jobs at KERA.org/economy.